where are the personal taste ratings? (reds)

[Casta]

I have to admit that ratings are a pain. The one great thing about it, though, is that if you are not particularly familiar between a choice of wines, you WILL be inclined to go for the better review/rating all other things being fair and equal. Also, you may be able to find a gem in your holdings.
This past week brought me great pleasure -
1) Borgo Tesis - 1998 - Merlot - Italy - 8.5: this is a very affordable Merlot and I found it to be very fruity for this type of wine. It had some sparkle to it, which makes me think that two years of wait would not hurt it.
2) Marques de Murrieta Ygay - 1993 - Rioja - Spain - 9: This is just one of my favorite everyday wines.
3) Castillo Ygay - 1987 - Rioja - Spain - 9: I anticipated this to be a much superior wine than the former, but was surprised to see that Castillo keeps them consistent, regardless a very nice red that was worth the wait but could just as easily be kept a few more years.